


It's Complicated (and it hurts to say why)

by Selene_Dreamwalker



Category: Bleach
Genre: Gen, Kitsune Kurosaki Ichigo, Urahara Kaito is Ishida Uryuu, but I couldn't resist, but not much better, i have permission to play in Akaluan's sandbox a bit, it's more shape shifting reiatsu bullshit than him really being a kitsune, kind of, not as angsty as the title suggests
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:14:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21979651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Selene_Dreamwalker/pseuds/Selene_Dreamwalker
Summary: To better sell their story, Kaito and his spirits futz around with shape-shifting.It's super effective!Story is incomplete, and I promise Iwillfinish it, I just want to post it so I don't lose the draft.
Relationships: Inoue Orihime & Ishida Uryuu & Kurosaki Ichigo & Sado "Chad" Yasutora, Ishida Uryuu & Urahara Kisuke, Ishida Uryuu & Zangetsu
Comments: 2
Kudos: 29





	It's Complicated (and it hurts to say why)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Akaluan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akaluan/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Dragon Eclipse](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4900900) by [Akaluan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akaluan/pseuds/Akaluan). 

When Yoruichi opened the door to Kaito's, Ichigo wasn't sure what he expected. 

Whatever it had been, it certainly wasn't a _youko._

Kaito was out cold, sleeping on his front, his back to them, tucked against the wall of the room. On his back there was a golden-red furred youko that looked a bit orange, with an oddly black and white striped tip on the tail, curled up and watching them with sharp, wary eyes.

Yoruichi paused when he saw the youko, staring in what Ichigo thought was maybe puzzlement. Then he tentatively spoke, "Ichigo?" and the youko's ears swiveled forward at him.

_The youko_ answered in a disconcertingly deep voice, "Yes, Yoruichi-sensei?" that made them all jump a bit.

Ichigo? As in, Kaito's _blade_, Ichigo?

Maybe they were right about the spirits, then. If so, this was at least one of them.

Were there more?

Yoruichi seemed slightly alarmed by the possibly-zanpakuto spirit. "What are you doing out?"

The youko, Ichigo, blinked at them innocently. "My-Kaito was unable to sleep without a trusted guard. I voluntold him I would, and out stubborned him until he gave up and went to sleep."

The noble cat was aghast at that. "And you have the reiatsu to do so after you've _sealed yourselves?"_

Sealed? What did-?

The youko sighed, seeming to have expected that. "Noticed, did you? Yesterday, we realized we didn't have the control of our power necessary to prevent hurting our allies, and I brought up seals. Thankfully Father taught us the basics before we left, although we modified ours a bit to suit combat parameters."

That alarmed Yoruichi even more. "Modified_ how?"_

"I hold control of the seals." The youko clarified simply.

Yoruichi about exploded, his fur bristling angrily. "Do you have any idea how _mad_ that is?! Zanpakuto don't hold the seals on their wielders!"

Youko-Ichigo was unconcerned and responded blandly. "My-Kaito may not have the attention to spare to release a seal mid-combat, should we need more power. I will. This is also a preventative measure to prevent hurting the kits overmuch, if we lose control when we invade properly."

Black furry shoulders slumped. "His control is that bad? We thought it was better than that."

"He has one-third mastery of our full reserves. That is not enough. So we sealed the rest."

Being as Yoruichi was at a loss for words, Ichigo spoke up. "You're . . . Kaito's blade?"

Slitted, golden-brown eyes flitted to him. "I am. You have questions?"

Yeah, he had questions. "Does that mean I-?"

"Yes," the fox interrupted, "you have a spirit, silly kit. You wouldn't have a blade if you did not. If you haven't heard from them yet, either you aren't ready to or they haven't spoken up. You'll learn as you go."

"I'm confused," Ishida stated abruptly. "Are you an ordinary youko?"

An inquisitive head-tilt. "Do I look like anything else?"

Ishida pushed his glasses further up his nose, eyes narrowing. "You're senpai's blade, you _can't_ be just a regular youko."

His vulpine grin was answer enough. "Well-spotted, Quincy-kit."

The sword spirit glowed for a moment, and then . . . _expanded,_ for lack of a better way to put it.

Now only half on Kaito's back, the youko - the _kitsune_, rather - was a large as a shiba-inu. And had _nine tails_ waving in the air.

Nine _different_ tails, Ichigo realized as he looked closer. Sort of. 

Six tails were black tipped, three were white tipped. Two of the white tipped tails each had a glittery ball attached near the end- were those _star balls?_

And, Ichigo noticed numbly, there was an odd pattern visible on the kitsune's breast now that he'd raised his head off Kaito's back. A large white-edged triangle, with nine smaller inside it. Six were filled in with black fur and three were not.

In the still-focused corner of his mind that wasn't completely boggled at Kaito's _sheer amount_ of power implied by the number of tails, Ichigo wondered, did that mean Kaito had _six tails_ sealed? Two-thirds of his power?

That was a scary thought.

Ishida just nodded, the jerk, even if there was a slight shudder in his reiatsu that said he was startled as well. "Senpai couldn't be an ordinary youko if he tried. Of course you're a kitsune."

The _nine-tailed_ kitsune just chuckled at them. His voice hadn't changed at all, and it fit his larger body much better than the smaller form had.

Yoruichi found his words at the kitsune's size-change. "And you'll be fine like this? More than half your power sealed, while we_ invade Seireitei__?"_

An ear flicked uncaringly. "If we wish not to potentially harm our allies, we will. We have accounted for the impracticalities of this as best we can. Is that not sufficient?"

The feline had the snotty snobbish sort of look on his face that said sufficient simply _wasn't._ More than the context clues did, that confirmed the 'nobility' theory.

need to put more in here, connect the pieces that came to me

Kitsune-Ichigo sighed, telling them, "Gather 'round, kits, it's story time. You evidently need a lesson in Quincy psychology and my-Kaito will never be able to talk about this, so I guess it's up to me."

The group of teens plus noble cat did, uneasiness plain in all of them.

The kitsune's tails wove back and forth around each other, the only sign of his agitation. His resonant voice began. "


End file.
